Chapter 4
Dr. Parker North hated leaving at the last minute, but he felt that he had no other choice. He needed time away, time to reflect on his future as a medical professional. When his father died, he’d decided to become a doctor, a trauma surgeon. He wanted to see and heal up close. Never once had he questioned his choice of careers. It was in his blood. Both his father and grandfather had been doctors. But, for the first time in his life, he wondered if he’d made the right decision. Losing that little girl had left its mark on him. She should be alive now. But she wasn’t because he hadn’t been able to save her.
Briefly, he thought that her parents should be charged with neglect. If they’d used their brains, this would never have happened. Parents should always provide helmets for their kids. In his profession, he saw head injuries daily. Seeing the devastation, the regret, the sorrow on the faces of the little girl’s parents, he knew they had to know they were responsible for their child’s death. Quite the burden, he thought. If only they’d been more aware.
He could “if only” all day. It would get him nowhere.
Parker couldn’t put it off any longer. He’d taken an indeterminate leave of absence. He wasn’t going to sit around his apartment and mope. He’d hear the ambulances anyway; he lived that close to the hospital. No, he had to leave, go somewhere to relax, clear his head, and decide if he wanted to continue practicing medicine. So, he was about to do what he’d promised an old college buddy he would do years ago.
Parker North was going to call Max Jorgensen and take him up on his offer to spend some time at Maximum Glide, his ski resort in Telluride, Colorado. Then he remembered Leon, his ten-year-old black and white tuxedo cat. He’d have to bring him along or hire someone to sit for him. It was too late to find someone, so that decision was made. Leon, who absolutely hated riding in his truck, was going on vacation with him. He knew that Max had dogs, was an avid animal lover, so he wasn’t worried about Leon being unwelcome.
Once Parker had made up his mind, there was no stopping him. He found his ancient suitcase stuck in the front closet, along with his old skis and boots. He examined them and decided he could always replace them once he tested them on the slopes. It’d been almost twenty years since he’d skied, and he was a native.
He yanked jeans and sweatshirts from his single dresser, warm wool socks, and several T-shirts. In the bathroom, he stuffed his shaving gear and toothbrush in a Ziploc bag. He found Leon’s carrier, grabbed several cans of cat food, then, since Leon was an indoor cat, he emptied the litter box, rinsed it out, and tucked a thirty-pound sack of litter next to the front door so he wouldn’t forget.
Once he finished, he checked his e-mail, responded to a few that were important, then figured he might as well make the call to Max.
He’d met Max when they were both students at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Max had gone on to achieve Olympic fame, winning several gold medals. The last Parker had heard, he’d married, and his wife, a police officer, had been shot and killed in the line of duty. That’d been three or four years ago. Hopefully Max had healed and moved on, but Parker knew it couldn’t have been easy.
He himself had been involved in a serious relationship while attending Harvard. Jacqueline Bersch. A knockout. Tiny, with large brown eyes and chocolate hair, she had a smile that would’ve made Scrooge grin. He’d fallen for her hard and fast. They’d been inseparable through medical school and during their residency. After graduation they’d both accepted positions in Denver. Dr. Jac, as he’d referred to her, went into private practice a year after they returned to Denver. Sadly, she’d fallen for her partner, Dr. Jonathan Flaherty. She broke Parker’s heart, and he hadn’t been in a serious relationship since. Too much effort anyway.
He flipped through the contact list on his cell phone, found Max’s number, and hit Send.
Max answered on the third ring. “I hope my caller ID is working,” he said. “It says that this call is from Parker North, but I know that can’t be right.”
Parker grinned. “It’s working just fine, my friend. I called to see if that offer still stands.”
Max chuckled. “I thought you had forgotten. It’s been what—ten, fifteen years?”
“I don’t think it’s been that long,” Parker answered, then did a quick mental count. Close to fifteen. Where had the years gone? It seemed like yesterday he and Max had shared a dorm and spent many late nights kicking up their heels and suffering for it the next day. The memory made him grin. “It’s been a while. Hey, I heard about your wife. It’s probably too late, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. It was a tough time in my life. I remarried a few years ago. I have a daughter now. Her name is Ella. She’s two. Life is good right now.”
At the mention of a child, Parker clammed up. It took him a couple of seconds to get his bearings.
“Congratulations, Max. I’ve let too much time pass. I’ve missed a lot of life. I just took a leave of absence, which is my reason for calling. Would it be too forward of me to think that offer you made me after you purchased that big resort still stands?”
“Hell no, it wouldn’t be too forward. Just give me a time and date, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. I’d like to get you on the slopes again, my friend, and I’d like you to meet Grace and Ella.”
Parker wasn’t up for kids just then, but he wasn’t going to tell that to Max after all these years. He’d perfected avoidance after Jac dumped him. There was no avoiding the occasional bumping into one another as they both spent most of their days and some nights at Angel of Mercy. “Actually, I’m leaving now. I need to relax a bit, take some time for myself. I haven’t taken any time off since I started practicing. And I’m bringing Leon, my cat—that is if it’s okay with you.” He could not bring himself to explain the real reason why he needed a break.
“You know what they say about all work and no play,” Max said, then added, “It’s crazy busy this time of year, but I’ll hook you up. I’ll reserve one of my best condos for you. You’re more than welcome to bring Leon; hell, you know I love dogs and cats.”
“Yep, just me and the fur ball. You sure this is a good time? I don’t want to mess up anyone’s holiday plans.”
“Any time is good, Parker. We always leave a few condos vacant. Just in case, you know, the president or the secretary of state decides at the last minute to come for some time on the slopes. I can’t wait to introduce you to Grace and Ella. I’ll tell Grace to set an extra plate for dinner tomorrow night. She can cook better than anyone, and her mother cooks, too. And she’s the sweetest old gal you’d ever want to meet. The mother, of course. Grace is definitely not old.”
Parker couldn’t help but smile. Max had it bad for his wife and mother-in-law. He was happy for him. “I’ll look forward to meeting them both,” he said.
“I promise you won’t be disappointed,” Max said. “When you arrive, just come to the main building, you can’t miss it. You’ll see the signs that lead to the registration office. I’ll have everything set up for you. Drive safe. The forecast is calling for massive amounts of snow once you’re on the continental divide side.”
“I’m leaving now. If the weather gets too bad, I’ll call you and drive in tomorrow morning. Max, I really do appreciate this, especially since it’s last minute. I owe you, big-time.”
Max chuckled. “Not to worry. It’s my pleasure. Now get your ass on the road before that storm hits.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Parker was about to hang up when he realized he had no clue where Max lived. “Where can I find that dinner you promised?”
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow evening around seven,” Max said.
“Good, then I’m out of here. And, Max, thanks for this. I really need to get the hell out of Dodge for a while.”
After hanging up, Parker looked around at his apartment to make sure everything was as it should be. There were no plants to water, no mail to hold, as he had most of his bills paid electronically now. No one in the complex would miss him, that’s for sure. He did set the automatic timer, so his single lamp in the living room would come on for three hours every evening, but that was it. He took one last glance around, then locked the door behind him.
It took twenty minutes to force Leon into the carrier. Another ten for him to stop howling. “Look, it’ll be nice for both of us. We need a change of pace, and you, my friend, are coming along no matter what, so give it up and get over it.” He placed all of Leon’s necessities in the back of the old Ford, then tossed the skis and boots in the back, too. He placed his suitcase on the passenger’s side, below Leon’s carrier.
After programming the radio station to his favorite rock station, he checked his gas gauge, then pulled out of his assigned parking space. He’d devoted his entire life to medicine and hadn’t bothered with much of a personal life since Jac. It was a sad testimony for a man nearing forty years of age.
As he turned onto the street, Parker focused on nothing but his driving. The last thing he needed was to wind up at Angel of Mercy as a patient. Hearing a favorite tune on the radio, he cranked up the volume and headed north. Fortunately, Leon didn’t seem to mind the loud music.